July 29, 2011
Roughly 300 miles off the coast of South Florida is a string of mostly uninhabited small islands amid clear blue water and coral reefs on a limestone plateau. There's virtually no nightlife, no major airports, no celebrity chef restaurants. There are also no neighbors. That remoteness is attracting a rarefied group of wealthy entertainers and name-brand CEOs. In the world of high-end real estate, privacy is an increasingly prized amenity.
Islands in Exuma Cays, a 365-island archipelago in the Bahamas, have recently sold to producer/director Tyler Perry, spiritual leader Aga Khan and country singers Tim McGraw and Faith Hill, joining earlier arrivals Johnny Depp, David Copperfield and LVMH Chairman and Chief Executive Bernard Arnault. Ms. Hill and Mr. McGraw are in the final stages of construction on a roughly 15,000-square-foot, four-bedroom home on their 17-acre island, Goat Cay, which they purchased a few years ago, according to people familiar with the project. Mr. Perry bought a 25-acre island called White Bay Cay as well as a nearby seven-acre island in 2009, and is currently building a tropical/Balinese-style home with several guest bungalows.
